


Embrace the Future

by Janie94



Series: Still Healing [4]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alpha!Mats, Alpha!Xabi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, mentions of mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 06:59:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10588821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94
Summary: Only days before their home match against Real Madrid, Mats sustains a training injury and is unable to play.His mate Xabi is there to cheer him up.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Why can't we have nice things? Just when I had started to really believe that we could win the treble this season and just after I have heaved a sigh of relief that Robert's shoulder injury won't prevent him from playing on Wednesday, our best defender has to get injured instead. I'm so tempted to punch a fucking wall right now!  
> I wrote this little story instead.
> 
> It is settled in the A/B/O verse of my 'Still Healing' series (seven months after the end of 'Feel Your Echoes' or the start of 'Reach For You'), but it is not necessary to have read the other parts before, this little oneshot works on its own as well, I guess.

 

 

**Embrace the Future**

 

Right ankle joint distortion. Out for the Wednesday's game against Real Madrid. Out next weekend against Bayer Leverkusen. Maybe even longer.

Mats remains motionless on the examination table where he has been lying and praying for the past two hours, hoping against better judgment that the throbbing at his ankle is only minor. He should have known better.

“I'm sorry, Mats,” their team physician Volker Braun tells him with a comforting pat to his shoulder. Then he leaves the defender alone to deal with the devastating news. 

Mats just lies still, his head turning to the window from which he can see the training pitch outside. His teammates have resumed training shortly after Volker led Mats away from the pitch, but their thoughts are clearly still occupied with Mats' shocking injury. He can see Volker talking intently to their coach at the sideline, most likely breaking the news to him.

Mats closes his eyes and turns away from the window, hoping that this is just a bad dream. A nightmare from which he will awake soon.

It can't be true, he has to help his team make it to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

It takes him a very long time to finally find the strength to sit up and put his socks and shoes back on. He feels like an absolute failure when he stands up and opens the door to exit the room. There he freezes at the sight of his mate.

“Mats, are you okay?” 

A moment later Xabi has put his arms around him and his scent fills Mats' nose, calming and comforting him. But at the same time it increases his guilt because this man – his mate – is one of the reasons why Mats wanted to play on Wednesday. The most important reason.

“Xabi, I'm out for the next two games at least.”

The other Alpha's grip around him tightens. “Yes, I know, Volker told us. That's not what I meant. I'm asking if  _you_ are okay. How are you feeling?”

Mats sighs. “Disappointed mostly. I wanted to play against Real.”

Xabi pulls back then, his hands resting at Mats' hips as he meets the younger man's eyes curiously. “You wanted to play so badly because of me, didn't you?”

Mats nods. “This is your last season, your last chance at winning the Champions League again, perhaps even the treble. And next we are playing against your former club. I wanted us to defeat them and bring that trophy home. For you. And Philipp.”

The older man has listened to Mats without interrupting him once, but now he raises his hands to his mate's face. “Mats, we can still do that. We are going to defeat Real Madrid and you will be back in time for the semifinals and the final.”

“I know,“ Mats replies. “But I wanted you and me to be a part of the team that would defeat Real. I wanted to be by your side when we defeat your ex club and-”

He is cut off by Xabi’s lips pressing against his own and instinctively he kisses the other Alpha back with all that he has, not willing to surrender to him so easily. 

Xabi’s mouth trails down to his chin and then even lower to his throat, his hand tightening in Mats’ hair to pull his head back and expose the vulnerable curve of his throat.

Mats snarls at his mate, the sound softened by the grin stretching on his face. They kiss again, this time less tender and with more force, two Alphas fighting for dominance. It is exactly what Mats needs right now and he revels in the feel of his mate’s strength, his teeth scraping over the younger man’s lips. Mats breaks the kiss and presses the side of his face against the other Alpha, his stubble rubbing against Xabi’s and they both groan at the feeling before their tongues start to lap over their matching mating bites.

Mats feels goosebumps appearing on his skin and the first tingle of desire coursing through his body. Xabi pushes closer, his half hard cock pressing against Mats’ upper thigh through the denim of his jeans, but Mats is not going to give in so easily and he turns them around, his ankle throbbing in protest at the movement. He winces at the pain and Xabi breaks their heated kiss with worry in his eyes. “We should stop, you’re injured after all.”

Mats growls unhappily. “My ankle is injured, not my cock.”

“Yes, but we should wait until we’re able to lie down on a bed where you can rest your leg a bit,” Xabi argues calmly.

Mats backs off with a sigh then, knowing that his mate is right like always.

The Spaniard follows him quietly when Mats gets his stuff and he wordlessly takes the bag from his hand. Mats lets him do that, but when Xabi tries to reach out for him and help him walk, he snarls to make him back off. He regrets it right after, it is not Xabi’s fault that he is invalid for the next few days. But fortunately his mate knows that Mats is rather frustrated with himself and doesn’t seem offended, instead walking him to his car.

On their way they meet Thomas who has just finished his individual training and gives the defender an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about your ankle, Mats. I know how important that game was for you and how desperately you wanted to play.”

“Thank you, Thomas,” Mats replies and he has to marvel at how easy Thomas is taking his own injury that forced him to miss the past two matches. “Where is Robert anyway? You barely manage to leave his side these days and he has been here with you every day for the last few weeks.”

Thomas grins sheepishly. “He said this is boring and frustrating because he can’t participate. He fought me tooth and nail until I allowed him to spend this week in Dortmund with Mario and Marco.”

Mats raises his eyebrows. “And you think this is a good idea? Mario is in the late stages of pregnancy, Marco is overprotective enough as it is and now he has another Omega in his house.”

Thomas snorts. “Robert is more Alpha than Omega lately. He commands me around all day long.”

“And all night long as well,“ Xabi whispers into Mats‘ ear and the defender has to snicker at that. 

Thomas doesn’t notice it though. The reminder of his mate has brought that stupidly happy smile back to the younger Alpha’s face, the one that never seems to leave his face lately. What hormones going crazy can do to a poor Alpha…

Mats and Xabi watch Thomas walk away and the later chuckles. “Those are going to be very exhausting weeks for Marco if he is really fretting that much over Mario. At least Robert is there now to help him calm down.”

“I can’t blame Marco. I guess I would be behaving the same way if my mate was pregnant.”

Xabi turns to him with a curious look. “Would you want that for you? A child I mean. Neither of us can get pregnant, but there are other possibilities.”

Mats is thinking about it for a long moment and the mental image of holding his own child in his arms makes him smile. “I guess so. One day when our football careers are over and we have time to properly take care of the kid.”

“Well,” Xabi says in a meaningful tone. “I’m retiring at the end of this season, so if you would like to…”

He doesn’t finish his sentence, leaving it hanging like an open question. Mats turns to his mate with a soft smile. “I will think about it, alright? Let’s first see how we’re doing as uncles before we consider becoming dads.”

“Uncle Xabi, I like the sound of that,” Xabi muses as he starts to nuzzle Mats’ throat. “Though it makes me sound rather old.”

“Well, you are an old man compared to the rest of us,” Mats replies cheekily and ducks his head to the side just in time to avoid the soft slap of his mate’s palm.

Xabi grins at him again. “I guess, I can’t really argue with that, I’m retiring after all.”

Mats growls chidingly. “No more word of that, I don’t want to be reminded. First we will win the treble and then you can give your grand farewell speech, darling.”

“That sounds like a deal,” Xabi agrees and then he is back to licking over Mats’ throat and the younger man sighs happily at the feeling, this time willingly tilting his head back to allow his mate better access, still lost in his thoughts about a child together. He has always wanted to have a natural child rather than adopting one, but that was before he met Xabi. Not once had Mats considered that he could fall in love and mate with another Alpha.

But here he is, surrendering to said Alpha and mate. And he has never been happier in his entire life.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave some kind of feedback, there is nothing more motivating. Or in this case comforting.


End file.
